Carbon nanotubes (CNTS) are allotropes of carbon with a nanostructure that may have a length-to-diameter ratio of up to approximately 28,000,000:1. They are cylindrical carbon molecules and have properties that make them potentially useful in many applications in nanotechnology, electronics, optics and other fields of materials science, as well as potential uses in architectural fields. Among their useful properties are high strength, the ability to carry electrical properties, and that they are efficient conductors of heat. Because carbon nanotubes are highly conductive, they may be able to transport electrons ballistically.
Crystallographic defects may occur in CNTs in the form of atomic vacancies. Such crystallographic defects may affect the properties of the CNTs. Specifically, such crystallographic defects may affect the electrical properties of the CNTs. Carbon nanotubes with specific types of defects act as excellent semiconductors, and are of interest as materials for future generations of transistors.